Live from Old Trafford: The view from the away end as Leeds given PL taster v Man United
By Mark Smith at Old Trafford
Taking a seat at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening brought back great memories of the 1-0 victory a decade ago, except this time it was Leeds United under-18s taking to the pitch.
I was there on that occasion too, with Jermaine Beckford scoring one of the club’s most memorable goals in the recent history of the Whites.
Unsurprisingly, the Whites took around 1,400 fans across to Lancashire and there were scenes in the build-up to kick-off similar to a Championship matchday.
Manchester United tried their best to rival the brilliant away support but there was no stopping the away fans, who sang from the first whistle to the last.
Twitter was drowning with broadcasters and popular companies sharing videos of the fantastic following, with even BBC Sport heaping praise on them.
Just as it was feeling like a normal away day, heads started to turn. It was Leeds midfielder Jamie Shackleton starting chants – something the Whites fans loved to see as the atmosphere went up another notch.
The action on the pitch wasn’t bad either. Mark Jackson’s young academy side put up a brave effort but eventually lost out on a spot in the next round, losing 1-0 and finishing the game with 10-men.
This is just a taster of what the Premier League can expect should Leeds eventually earn promotion back to the top-flight this season, with grounds around the country surely set to be taken over by a sea of white shirts – just as Old Trafford was on Wednesday despite it being the FA Youth Cup.
In other Leeds United news, here are our ratings from the 1-0 defeat against United – the standout player getting an 8/10